It is indeed a pleasure to welcome you to a new school year! It is my desire to make this your very best school year ever. You will be welcomed by a staff that will be friendly and courteous and will have students’ best interests in mind. Our doors are always open! Parent participation at school and at home will lead to a very successful and positive school year.
I encourage you to read through this handbook with your child and review the policies that regulate our daily school activities. Please keep it handy, as this handbook will answer many of your questions.
If you do have questions, feel free to call the school at (937)365-1271.
Sincerely,
Principal
School Closing:
Parents/Guardians will be notified of any school closing, delay or early dismissal by an automated call system. Parents/Guardians must keep the office updated of any change in their telephone number to remain current in the system. Local radio and TV stations will air these events as well.
BULLYING AND OTHER FORMS OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
No student shall harass, intimidate or bully (including by electronic means) another person. A student that engages in this type of behavior will be subject to disciplinary probation (minimum of 30 days)and suspension (O.S.S.)from school. The Board will not tolerate any gestures, comments, threats, or actions which cause bodily harm or personal degradation. This policy applies to all activities in the district including personal degradation. This policy applies to all activities in the district including activities on school property, on a school bus and where students are under the schools control. These behaviors include but are not limited to the following:
- Using electronic means to harass another person,
- Making a false report regarding an incident or person,
- Persist in the effort to harass another person,
- Retaliation against another person for reporting a previous alleged incident.
The Greenfield Exempted Village School District staff will promptly investigate behavior that may violate District policy. You may view the complete Board Policy 5517.01 Bullying and Other Forms of Aggressive Behavior at
Bullying, harassment, or intimidation means:
Any intentional written, verbal or physical act that a student or group of students exhibits toward another particular student(s) more than once and the behavior both causes mental or physical harm to the other student(s) and is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student(s).
Deliberately making false reports about bullying, harassment, andbullying and/or aggressive behavior for the purpose of getting someone in trouble is similarly prohibited and will not be tolerated. Deliberately making false reports may result in disciplinary action. Retaliation against anyone who reports or is thought to have reported, files a complaint, or otherwise participates in an investigation or inquiry concerning allegations of aggressive behavior is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
To view the complete Board Policy go to the Greenfield Exempted Village School District website at Greenfield.k12.oh.us
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to develop respectful, responsible, and educated citizens, while providing a safe and compassionate learning environment.
ADMISSION
When entering a child into school, you must have his/her birth certificate, a current inoculation record, and his/her social security card. If you have custody, the proof of custody must be on file with us, If your child is enrolling from another school district, the previous school address will be needed. You will then sign a release of records from the previous school.
Greenfield Exempted Village School District
Attendance Policy
Under the Ohio compulsory school attendance law (Ohio Revised Code 3321) children between the ages of six (6) and eighteen (18) must attend school. A child under six years of age who has been enrolled in kindergarten also shall be considered of compulsory school age per Ohio Revised Code. The Greenfield Exempted Village School District believes success in school is directly related to attendance and has adopted policies to encourage and reward good attendance. Ensuring good attendance will require a strong partnership between the district and the parent(s). This policy spells out the district’s student attendance expectation and procedures for absences.
Attendance is important to us:
The Greenfield Exempted Village School District requires that students enrolled in the District attend school in accordance with the laws of the State. The State of Ohio also ranks school districts on their attendance rate. One of the indicators of an excellent district is a 93% or higher attendance rate. The educational program offered by this District is predicated upon the presence of the student and requires continuity of instruction and classroom participation to maximize its effectiveness.
Excused Absences
* Absences from school that may be excused are:
-Personal illness (parental note)
-Doctors, Dentists, etc. appointments (doctor’s note)
-Death of a member of the immediate family (parental note)
-Observance of a religious holiday (parental note)
-Other circumstances as pre-approved by the principal or designee
Expectations from Parents:
Parents are expected to notify the school of their child’s absence on the first day of the absence. The parent should call the child’s school the day of the absence and send a signed and dated note stating the reason for the absence on the first day the child returns to school. Notes for excused absences will not be accepted if they are not submitted within three (3) school days of the child’s return to school.
Actions Taken by the District For Excessive Absences (excused and unexcused):
- A letter is sent (with a list of absences) to the parent following the 5th and 10th day of total absence. An additional letter will also be sent at the 10th unexcused day of absence.
- Unruly and/or Contributing charges may be filed on the 5th consecutive day, 7th day in a month or 12th day in a year of unexcused absences.
- Only doctor’s excuses will be accepted for an excused absence after the tenth (10th) day absent.
- Ohio Revised Code (3321.13) requires the school administration to report any student who is absent ten (10) consecutive days or fifteen (15) total days in a school year to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to deny or suspend an Ohio Driver’s license or instructional permit.
Student Vacation Policy
Students are required to complete a vacation policy application if they are going to be out of school for three (3) or more days. This application must be picked up in the office, signed by the parent and student, and submitted to each of the student’s teachers for the listing of assignments. The completed form, with each teacher’s signature and assignments listed, must be submitted to the principal at least two (2) school days prior to the beginning of the absence. Vacation days must be approved by the principal to be an excused absence. Be aware that vacation days are included in the total number of days absent. Students are discouraged from taking vacations during exam days. However, if it cannot be avoided, it is the student’s responsibility to set SPECIFIC alternate times, with each teacher, to take the exam. In no case will a student have more than three (3) school days to make-up the exam after returning from vacation.
Tardies
We ask parents to make punctuality a priority. The first few minutes of the school day are very important as tardiness disrupts classroom teaching and learning. Students arriving to school up to sixty (60) minutes late or leaving sixty (60) minutes early will be counted as tardy. Students who come to school more than sixty (60) minutes late or leave more than sixty (60) minutes early will be counted one half (1/2) day absent. Student’s leaving early is discouraged as the last few minutes of the school day are devoted to instruction, review of homework assignments and announcements. If it is necessary for the child to arrive late or leave early they must report to the office to be signed in or out by the parent. A tardy will only be considered excused if a professional note is provided within 3 school days for the time missed.
Three (3) unexcused tardies will be equal to one (1) unexcused absence. Students with more than three (3) tardies may also be subject to other school disciplinary actions.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
The Greenfield Board of Education will provide transportation to all students (high school and elementary) who live more than one mile from school. The distance must be measured from the school to which the student is assigned and to the residence of the pupil over the nearest possible highway or road as required by State Minimum Standards for Transportation.
The Greenfield Board of Education will provide transportation to all handicapped children who are unable to walk to the school to which they are assigned. In case of dispute whether the child is able to walk to school or not, the health commissioner shall be the judge of such ability. (R.C. 3327.01).
Free transportation is a service provided by the Board of Education and should be regarded as a privilege by the student. Discipline on the school buses shall be the direct responsibility of the driver. Infractions of discipline or destruction of property will be reported to the high school or elementary administration for further action. Those who become behavior problems will be denied the privilege of riding.
PUPIL AND PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Parents and pupils must assume that school bus transportation is a privilege to the
student, not a right.
2. Parents will be responsible to any damage to a bus by their children.
3. Pupils shall arrive at the bus stop before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
4. Pupils shall wait in a location clear of traffic and away from the bus stops.
5. Behavior at bus stop must not threaten life, limb, or property of any individual.
6. Pupils must go directly to an available or assigned seat.
7. Pupils must remain seated keeping the aisles and exits clear.
8. Pupils must observe bus conduct rules and obey the driver promptly and
respectfully.
9. Pupils must not use profane language.
10. Pupils must refrain from eating and drinking on the bus except as required for
medical reasons.
11. Pupils must not use tobacco on the bus.
12. Pupils must not have alcohol or drugs in their possession on the bus except for
prescriptionmedication required for a student.
13. Pupils must not throw or pass objects in, from, or onto the bus.
14. Pupils may carry on the bus only objects that can be held in their laps. (See
paragraph one of Rule 3301-83-20 of the Administrative Code.)
15. Pupils must leave or board the bus at locations to which they have been assigned
unless they have parental and administrative authorization to do otherwise.
16. Pupils must not put head or arms out of the bus windows.
17. Guidelines will be formulated for the use and storage of equipment and other
means of assistance required by handicapped pupils.
18. Proper steps will be taken to collect, store, and use medical information related
to pupils known to have medical problems which may require driver’s attention.
19. Immediately after dismissal students must board their bus and take their assigned
seat. Students are not permitted to exit the bus until they arrive at their destination.
20. Each pupil shall be assigned a residence side designated place of safety. Driver
must account for each pupil at designated place of safety before leaving. Pupils
are not to proceed to their residence until the school bus has departed.
21. The driver has the authority to enforce the above regulations. The pupils shall conduct themselves on the school bus as they would in a classroom except that reasonable visiting and conversation is permissible. Continued disorderly conduct or refusal to submit to the authority of the driver shall be sufficient reason for refusing a pupil’s transportation due to misconduct. The school administration shall notify the parent of such refusal with a full explanation for these actions. The bus then shall permit the pupil to board the bus at his/her home until the parent gives assurance of future good conduct on the part of the pupil.
EMERGENCY CARDS
Every child must have a completed emergency card on file in the principal’s office. Please list all important telephone numbers so we will be able to contact you in case of an emergency. Please list all babysitters, grandparents, and any other person who might be able to locate you in case of an emergency Please give your child’s teacher his/her new address.
FIELD TRIPS AND WALKING TRIPS
Field trips and walking trips are designed to enhance the classroom studies. Permission slips must be signed by the parents and are required by the school before a child participates in a field trip or walking trip.
FIRE DRILLS
Fire drills are held once a month to acquaint everyone with a system of clearing the building as safely and as quickly as possible. The rules are:
1. All students must leave to the designated area.
2. No one is to speak at any time.
3. No one is to re-enter the building until told to do so by a teacher, principal,
or firefighter.
4. If an exit is blocked, an alternate route should be taken.
TORNADO DRILLS
Tornado drills will be held several times throughout the school year, with extra attention paid during the spring when tornado season is at its highest. Each classroom and special areas of the building will have posted information on what to do in case of a tornado. Classroom teacher will cover all the necessary steps to take in case of a tornado emergency.
GUIDANCE SERVICES
A school psychologist and guidance counselor are on staff and available to serve students when needed. The school psychologist may be reached by calling 981-4856. The guidance counselor is located in the middle school and may be reached by calling 981-2197. Any parent having questions regarding their child should contact the principal to schedule a conference. Our support personnel are more than willing to help in all aspects of your child’s development.
HEALTH
If your child becomes ill at school, he/she should tell his/her teacher, who will send him/her to the nurse. It is imperative that we have on file an emergency number to call if the parents cannot be reached.
If you suspect that you child has a contagious disease, please see your family doctor as soon as possible, and keep the school informed of you visit with a doctor’s note.
HONOR ROLL
Grading scale for fourth and fifth grade is as follows:
99-100 A+ 89 - 91 B+ 79 - 81 C+ 70 - 72 D+
94-98 A 85 - 88 B 75 -78 C 66 - 69 D
93- 92 A- 82 - 84 B- 73 - 74 C- 64 - 65 D-
Requirements for the Honor Roll are as follows:
All “A” Honor Roll All “A/B” Honor Roll
1. Scholarship --- “A” 1. Scholarship --- “A/B”
2. Conduct ------“A” 2. Conduct ------“A/B”
3. No Suspensions Of Any Kind 3. No Suspensions Of Any Kind
Or “A/B” status. Those students who have all “A’s” at the end of the school year will receive a plague with their name imprinted on it. Students who made all “A’s” and “B’s” will receive a medallion depicting their efforts.
INSURANCE
During the first week of school, your child will bring home a school insurance form. Please complete this form and return it to your child’s teacher as soon as possible if you are interested in “school time” or “24 hour protection” for your child. Itis advisable to participate in this program if you family does not have insurance. This program is available throughout the school year.
KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten students will be going to school every day all day long. This can be very demanding on the student, especially during the early adjustment time of school. Parents should make sure that their child has a nutritional breakfast and adjust their child’s lunch accordingly with the lunch menu that each child will receive.
LOST AND FOUND
Many lost items are turned into the principal’s office each year. Any child finding a lost article should take it to the office. Please call us if you have any questions about lost items and encourage your child to check the lost and found when needed. Do not send any items to school that are not labeled. Toys and games are prohibited unless requested by the teacher. The school is not responsible for lost items.
LUNCH PROGRAM
School lunches are available to students at a cost of $1.85 per lunch for your convenience. Milk prices for this school year will be $.30 cents a carton. Please note that prices are subject to change at the start of the 2014-2015 school year. Students can also bring their lunch to school if they so desire. If your child happens to forget his/her lunch money, he/she may charge their lunch for one day. That charge must be paid before another charge will be approved. If you believe your family may qualify for the free or reduced-priced lunch program; then you will need to complete a lunch program form for each student. Make sure all family members are listed with their social security numbers and monthly income orI.D. number. Complete the formand return it to school as soon as possible.